Water Valkies

The boys were perched on two stools, shoveling food into their mouths when Kinly returned from work that morning. He didn't mind working the night shift at the button factory. It was a normal job, where he did normal work while surrounded by normal people. It was a nice feeling he thought, being normal. Kinly's nametag read 'Kinly Thorne: Supervisor, Quality control'. It glowed weakly when the sun hit it, its shine obscured with smudgy fingerprints. Still, Kinly smiled regardless, proud of his responsibility to ensure each button that was shipped out was perfectly rounded without any imperfections.

Working nights had one main advantage -he could come home every morning and spend the day with his boys and then get some sleep early that evening, and he planned to do just that today, as he did yesterday, and the day before that. He greeted his oldest son, Rip with a warm smile that turned into a half grimace as Rip replied with a "Hghh Daah. 'Ow wass whhrk?" through a challengingly large mouthful of pancakes and bacon.
"Good son, same as usual." he grinned. Kinly cast a glance towards his younger son Sei and found him wearing the same disgusted smile. Sei wasn't Kinly's biological son, but he was as equally a part of Kinly's heart as Rip was. He went to the cupboard and took out some instant coffee, then flicked the switch of the kettle to boil the water. As the water bubbled he leaned back against the wall and watched the boys laugh and joke together while enjoying their food. He thought of how rare it was and how lucky he felt to have two valkies in his family. He felt special, like someone, or something, had chosen his boys for something, and he was to help them get there.

The water reached boiling point and clicked before giving a contented puff of steam. He busied himself with the coffee.
"Kinly do you like the sea?" Sei asked him. Kinly smiled inwardly. Sei always asked him questions that were random.
"I don't really know to be honest. If its a hot day then I like to go in for a dip but most times its just cold and if you stay in too long you dry up like a raisin."
"See?" Sei asked Rip rhetorically, "Kinly doesn't like it either, I probably inherited it from him."
"You aren't related dumbass." countered Rip.
"Hey I'm not a dumbass, you're a douchebag!"
"You're right, I am a douchebag, dumbass." smirked Rip.
Kinly laughed to himself and went upstairs to change his clothes.
Sei took his absence as an opportunity to swear.
"No. You're actually not a douchebag, you're a cock sucker!"
Rip shoved the last of his pancakes into his mouth and chewed before winking at Sei and saying "You know that's only for you babe."
Rip rose from his stool and walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs, his hips swaying arrogantly the whole time, leaving Sei sitting by himself with an open mouth and a blush that was already to his cheeks.
* * *

Kinly leafed through a number of pages before he found the one marked Johnston Academy. He yanked it from the pile.
"School." he grinned. "One of life's hidden pleasures."
Sei groaned and slumped against the door of Kinly's seldom-used office.
"It'll be an experience. You've never gone to school before this'll be fun."
Sei silently appreciated his use of "never gone to school" rather than "can't remember school". Since he came here, Kinly had been homeschooling him, but this year he decided Sei had to go to what he called "proper school". He handed Sei the enrolment form and pointed out the areas that needed completion. Sei scribbled in his details and when he reached the box at the bottom that read student signature, he began to pen in a capital S until Kinly interrupted.
"Uh-uh Sei, full name." he instructed.
Sei changed his half S to a P and signed the document Poseidon Thorne.
"Perfect." said Kinly cheerfully and took it back to read over it.
"Can I go now please?" whined Sei. Kinly nodded and Sei bolted out the door and to Rip's room. He settled himself into the pillows on Rip's bed and sighed.
School.